What are the specific allegations in the Libya case?

In November 2016, Ziad Takieddine told the French news website Mediapart that in 2006-2007 he had handed over three suitcases stuffed with 200- and 500-euro notes to Mr Sarkozy and Claude Guéant, who was his chief of staff.

Mr Takieddine alleged that the cash came from Gaddafi and totalled €5m (£4.4m; $6.2m).

Ziad Takieddine says he delivered Libyan cash to Mr Sarkozy’s aides

Mr Guéant, who was managing Mr Sarkozy’s presidential campaign at the time, told the franceinfo website on Tuesday that he had “never seen a penny of Libyan financing”.

He was placed under formal investigation earlier this year over a €500,000 bank transfer in 2008. He has denied wrongdoing and claimed the money came from the sale of two paintings.

French daily Le Monde reported that Bashir Saleh, who ran Libya’s sovereign wealth fund at the time, had confirmed that Gaddafi had financed Mr Sarkozy.

Possible charges in this case would be influence peddling, fraud, handling of stolen goods and money laundering.

What about the other Sarkozy investigations?

Criminal proceedings have been launched against Mr Sarkozy in one other case of alleged illicit campaign financing.

It is alleged that he engaged in accounting fraud to overshoot the ceiling for campaign expenditure in 2012, which was €22.5m.

Mr Sarkozy denies he was aware of the overspending.

The affair is known as the Bygmalion scandal.

In connection with his 2007 campaign, Mr Sarkozy was previously cleared over claims that he had used secret funding from L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt and that he had tried to influence investigating magistrates.

Prime members can watch thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video, listen ad-free to hundreds of hand-built playlists and access two million songs with Prime Music. Safely store an unlimited amount of photos or get 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals and of course enjoy unlimited One-Day Delivery on millions of items.

Prime members can watch thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video, listen ad-free to hundreds of hand-built playlists and access two million songs with Prime Music. Safely store an unlimited amount of photos or get 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals and of course enjoy unlimited One-Day Delivery on millions of items.